American Ninja Warriors
by lildreamer7
Summary: Team-fic. There will be pain. There will be glory. And just maybe, for the first time ever, there will be an "American Ninja Warrior."
1. The Invitation and Training

**Title:** American Ninja Warriors

**Author:** lildreamer

**Rating:** K+

**Summary:** There will be pain. There will be glory. And just maybe, for the first time ever, there will be an "American Ninja Warrior."

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Avengers, they belong to Marvel and Stan Lee. Darn! I also do not own _American Ninja Warrior_. That show belongs to G4 and NBC. The cover photo belongs to them, too. So don't sue me!

**A/N:** This is my first Avengers fanfic, so please be kind with the reviews. I saw the show this summer and thought it would be fun to imagine how our favorite heroes would do on it. Would their "powers" give them an advantage or would the obstacle courses be an equalizer? Read now, to find out.

**All right, on with the story…**

* * *

The tower buzzed with excitement the day the invitation came.

The Avengers were invited to compete on _American Ninja Warrior._

Actually, the producers were only interested in Steve, who knew absolutely nothing about the show. But the others—with the exception of Bruce (one misstep and the "Other Guy" was liable to appear)—couldn't pass up the opportunity to enter the competition, too. It was a chance for them to show the world and each other what they were really made of.

Tony immediately gathered all the information he could about the show and, with help from JARVIS, created a holographic training program for them. It had a little bit of everything: a climbing wall, a salmon ladder, balance-testing apparatuses, things to swing on, etc…

Training began the next day and continued whenever they had downtime between missions. It was brutal. But it was nothing Steve, Clint, and Natasha couldn't handle. The three prided themselves on their physical condition, though the captain did have an "advantage" over the two assassins. Thor, though not the most graceful, did well enough—once the others explained how everything worked. Tony, on the other hand, was a work in progress.

Without the Iron Man suit, the billionaire wasn't as strong or agile as the others. But he wasn't weak. He just didn't have the SHIELD training or superhuman strength that the others did. He was the normal one of the team, aside from his IQ, of course. So, all the training for _ANW_ was harder on him than anyone else.

While Natasha scaled the climbing wall in a way that would make Spiderman proud, Tony's progress was slow and full of missteps. By the time he reached the top, he was completely drained. Steve maneuvered around and over obstacles as if he'd been trained in parkour. Tony just stumbled all over the place, his legs feeling like jelly by the time he was finished. Thor, with his unwavering optimism, did his best to encourage him and so did the others. He needed it. The hours of rigorous training and the aching of every muscle in his body gave new meaning to the adage, "No pain, no gain."

It was a good thing the team had their own built-in doctor. They all kept Bruce busy, if not annoyed. As if he didn't have enough to deal with when they got injured during missions, now, he had training-related injuries to deal with, too.

Nevertheless, he faithfully continued to tend to them. They were his friends, after all.

They trained for months.

As the competition drew closer, the training intensified.

And so did the anticipation.

When it finally came time to leave, they were ready. More than ready. They'd all grown stronger and more fit than they were before. Tony actually felt good enough to give the others some competition—something he hadn't thought possible just a few months ago. All the hard work and encouragement from his teammates had paid off.

They were all giddy with excitement as they hopped aboard Tony's private jet and headed south to Baltimore...

* * *

**So, whaddaya think? Intriguing? Want more? Review! Also, for all you Loki fans out there, I couldn't decide if I wanted to put him in the story or not. If you want me to add our favorite god of mischief to the team, I'd be happy to do it. Just let me know!**


	2. Qualifying Pt 1

**A/N: **Hey, there! Sorry, this took a while. Been super busy. And not much motivation from reviews. Anyway, here's the next chappy. Please don't get on me for having the hosts know all kinds of top-secret info about the team that they shouldn't. I had to. On the actual show they always give background. If I hid everything, there wouldn't be much to tell. So, yeah...

**FYI: **_Italics_= host chat

**So, on with the qualifying…**

* * *

**Baltimore, Maryland**

"_Good evening, folks. We're here in this city of firsts to continue our quest to find the first-ever American Ninja Warrior. Rising from the famed Inner Harbor is a course that's ready to meet, head on, the challenge of over one hundred of the nation's finest athletes, who all have dreams of earning a spot in the Baltimore Finals._

"_I'm Matt Iseman alongside former NFL Defenseman Akbar Gbaja-Biamila." He turned to his co-host. "Akbar, you've been down talking to the athletes. Do you think the first American Ninja Warrior could be among them?"_

"_Absolutely." The other man nodded, smiling. "It's certainly possible, especially since we have some very special guests here tonight."_

"_That's right. Among the dozens of Ninja Warrior hopefuls waiting to take on tonight's obstacle course are six well-known heroes who define the word 'tough.' Drawing in record crowds, they've come here to prove that it takes more than superpowers to be earth's mightiest heroes." _

_Akbar chuckled. "You heard right, people. The Avengers are in the house!"_

The audience erupted with cheers as the camera panned over to where five of the Avengers were busy doing warm-ups and psyching themselves up. Steve, who had chosen to wear blue shorts and a white t-shirt with a big star outlined in red on the chest (Tony's idea), waved politely at the camera.

"_There's Captain America."_

Tony, who was sporting black windbreakers and a t-shirt as red as his armor with the words "Iron Man" printed on it, gave the camera his usual million-dollar smile as he flexed his muscles. He thoroughly enjoyed being the center of attention.

"_And Iron Man."_

Thor, dressed in his normal Asgardian garb minus the cape and armor, just offered a meek smile and wave. Being on camera was still new to him.

"_And Thor's there, too. Along with Hawkeye and Black Widow."_

Clint, dressed in black shorts and a black tank top with the SHIELD logo on it, just gave a brief nod. As did Natasha, who was wearing a black sports bra complete with SHIELD logo and black work-out pants.

"_The sixth Avenger, Dr. Bruce Banner has chosen not to compete and instead will support his teammates from the sidelines." Akbar commented, as the camera panned toward a man in a lime green button-down shirt who was sitting in the bleachers. _

Bruce smiled nervously at the camera. He was still trying to get used to being around people again. And right now, he was surrounded by them.

"_Too bad." Iseman remarked, slightly disappointed. "It would have been interesting to see what his 'other side' would make of this course."_

"_He'd probably just smash everything and leave us with one heck of a repair bill!"_

"_Yeah…" He chuckled. "You know, on second thought, I'd say Dr. Banner made a wise decision."_

"_I agree."_

"_The other five Avengers, however, have taken up the challenge. But even with their 'advantages' over the other competitors, do you think they'll have what it takes to get to Mt. Midoriyama?"_

"_Who knows? This Baltimore course is full of brand-new obstacles designed to test the limits of each of our competitors. Let's go down to the third member of our team, Jenn Brown, to check it out."_

The camera flashed to the third co-host, who was standing by on the sidelines.

"_Thanks, Matt. Standing between our competitors and the Baltimore Finals are six taxing obstacles, four of which are making their debut on _American Ninja Warrior_." _

The Avengers listened closely as the pretty brunette explained the course.

"_Up first are the Quintuple Steps, where there are five angled platforms to cross. If the competitors touch the water, they're out. Next, the Downhill Jump. Athletes ride a sliding board down the ramp, then swing to the platform. From there, the Prism Tilt. Competitors must move across a suspended prism without falling on the pads below. On the Swing Jump, they'll swing and jump to a cargo net and climb safely down to the landing platform. Up next is the Circle Cross, where competitors must use alternating rings and ropes to cross the pool. Lastly, they must climb to the top of the 14-foot concave beast, the Warped Wall. Do that, and they'll advance to the Baltimore Finals."_

Tony let out a low whistle, sizing up the Warped Wall. It looked much higher in person. "And that will be one great climb."

"Sounds impossible," Steve remarked, intrigued and a bit nervous.

Natasha just smiled. "Sounds like fun."

She sounded so pleased, Tony was sure the woman had a screw loose.

"_This year, any competitor who successfully completes the qualifying course will be guaranteed a spot in the Baltimore Finals," Iseman said, once everyone's attention returned to the two commentators. "And if we don't have at least thirty athletes that successfully complete the course, the competitors who went the furthest the fastest will also advance to the finals."_

"_In the starting blocks right now is our first competitor of the night…"_

The Avengers watched as the first eight competitors ran the course. So far, only one had made it through, and he was a returning competitor. He'd been there last year and knew what he was in for. Clearly, getting through this course would be no easy task. And yet, Thor still seemed pretty impressed by it all.

"Many of these humans are not warriors, yet they command great strength," the Norse god commented, as another _Ninja Warrior_ hopeful took to the course. "It is most surprising."

"We mere humans are more resilient than you think," Clint responded, matter-of-factly.

Another five competitors took their turns on the course. Unfortunately, all failed to finish. Then, it was _their_ turn.

"_And now, the moment you've all been waiting for. Standing at the starting block is the first of the Avengers: their resident archer, Hawkeye—also known as Agent Clint Barton!"_

"_Barton is a highly trained assassin, a marksman. His weapon of choice: the bow. Having grown up in a circus, his skills were acquired at a young age, and honed to deadly perfection years later when he was recruited by SHIELD. He never misses. Best not get on his bad side, you just might become his next target."_

The timer sounded and he took off.

"_Wow, he just flew through the quintuple steps," Iseman commented, as Clint bounded across the angled platforms with ease._

"_The Downhill Jump shouldn't give him any problems," Akbar said, as the archer hopped onto the sliding board. "Archery requires perfect hand-eye coordination and quick reflexes. Both of which he needs to conquer this obstacle. So keeping his balance and grabbing that rope should be a piece of cake."_

He was right. Clint road that board like Tony Hawk and easily caught the rope, swinging himself to the other platform. He got across the Prism Tilt with only a little stumble at the end (he wasn't prepared for how far it would actually tilt). At the Swing Jump, he climbed onto the swing without hesitation, took two swings to gain momentum, then launched himself at the cargo net.

"_He's not using his legs to climb the cargo net," Iseman noted. "That's gonna put some strain on his arms. Not a good idea when the next obstacle requires arm strength."_

Once Clint reached the platform, he moved quickly to the Circle Cross, leaping up high to grab the first ring. He swung to the adjacent rope easily, but had to adjust his grip when his hands started to slip, causing his teammates and everyone in the audience to hold their breath. After a tense moment when he was only hanging by one arm, he managed to pull himself higher up the rope and finally moved to the next ring.

"_This obstacle requires a lot of grip strength. It really works the upper body. Barton's definitely shown he's strong enough, but his arms are probably burning now."_

He got through the last rope and ring without any more problems. Then it was on to the Warped Wall.

"_He looks tired. But he has three tries to get up that wall."_

Clint stood there for a moment and took a deep breath before running toward the wall at full speed. He got about halfway up before sliding back down, to his and everyone else's disappointment.

"_Looks like he's having some trouble."_

His teammates cheered him on.

"Come on, Clint! You can do this!" Natasha shouted, from the sidelines.

"Do it the same, but better!" Tony quipped, to which he received glares from his teammates.

Ignoring Tony, Clint regrouped, taking another deep breath, and took off toward the wall again. This time around, to everyone's delight, he got up high enough to grab hold of the top edge with one hand and pulled himself up. The crowd cheered. He pumped his fist into the air victoriously before hitting the red buzzer. Swept up in the moment, he yanked off his top, revealing a nice six-pack, as he continued to celebrate. His teammates were ecstatic, and slightly amused by the display.

"_He did it!" Iseman said, clapping. "He is the second person so far to finish the course and will advance to the Baltimore finals. Great job! Clocking in at one minute, fifty seconds he is now the one to beat." _

"_And our next competitor will probably be the one to do it."_

"_Up next is Captain Steve Rogers. Better known as Captain America. A man out of time—seventy years out of time to be exact—he is a living legend who lives up to the legend. He was just another kid from Brooklyn before he met the late Dr. Abraham Erskine, a scientist who changed his life forever." _

"_His entry into this competition was met with a bit of controversy because of the special serum that runs through his veins. It took a lot of convincing, but I'm glad to say that has all been resolved, and he's obviously been allowed to compete tonight."_

"_His strength and agility may be enhanced, but he still has his limits just like everyone else. And what better way to test those limits than on the ever-changing, physically-demanding obstacle courses of _American Ninja Warrior_."_

"_And there he goes…He's moving quickly through this course."_

The moment the clock sounded, Steve flew through the Quintuple Steps just like Clint. He breezed through the Downhill Jump, and practically ran across the Prism Tilt.

"_Wow! Are you seeing this? He's making this course look easy!"_

"_He's already at the Swing Jump!"_

In one smooth motion, he jumped onto the swing and swung onto the cargo net. He climbed down quickly and leapt onto the first ring of the Circle Cross with ease. Channeling his inner monkey, he got across without a problem.

"_Cap's making good time. If he can get up the Warped Wall in one try, he'll have the fastest time so far in this competition."_

Glancing briefly up at the daunting obstacle, he took one quick breath and went for it. He made it up without a hitch and took no time hitting the buzzer. Cheers rang out from the audience and his teammates. He responded with a brief salute, ever the humble hero. All the women in the audience were hoping he would tear off his shirt, much like Clint had done, but he didn't. His old-fashion modesty won out. As always.

"_One minute, thirty seconds. That's the time to beat, folks. Amazing!"_

"_Let's go down to Jenn, who's with Captain America now."_

The camera panned down to the sidelines where the third cohost stood with the patriotic Avenger, a microphone in hand.

"_So, Captain, what did you think of the course?"_

"It was pretty challenging."

"_Not for you, though. Right? I mean, you're Captain America."_

Steve just shrugged. "Well…"

"You're darn right, he is!" Tony interjected, suddenly appearing next to him, a huge grin on his face. "Wait until he takes on Midoriyama. He'll blow your mind!"

Steve just rolled his eyes at the billionaire's antics.

_Jenn chuckled. "Thank you, Mr. Stark. I'm sure he will. Guys?"_

The camera flashed back to the booth.

"_Thanks, Jenn."_

"_Coming up next…the lone female Avenger. Will she have what it takes to be the first woman to become a Ninja Warrior?"_

"_Also coming up is billionaire Tony Stark, the armored Avenger. So far, his teammates have set the bar pretty high. Will he measure up?"_

"_And later on, we'll find out if this course can meet the challenge of a god."_

"_All this and more coming up on Part 2 of the Baltimore Qualifier…"_

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**Like it? Love it? Can't wait for Part 2? Then review! Oh, by the way, I know it seemed too easy for Cap, but I promise it won't always be that way!**


	3. Qualifying Pt 2

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! So, here's part 2 of the qualifying round.**

**Read on and enjoy…**

* * *

"_Good evening, everyone! And welcome back for Part 2 of the Baltimore Qualifier."_

"_Last time, dozens of competitors took on this course, but only a few made it through. Among them, two of the Avengers," Iseman said, recapping the night's events. "The obstacle that people seem to be having trouble with is the Circle Cross. Even the Avengers' Hawkeye had problems there."_

"_Hopefully, that won't be the case for the rest of our _Ninja Warrior_ hopefuls," Akbar remarked, as the audience cheered loudly. "As you can see _and_ hear, this audience is ready to watch the three remaining Avengers take their turns tonight."_

"_That's right. Black Widow, Thor, and Iron Man still have yet to face this course."_

The camera panned down to where the trio was waiting on the sidelines, mentally preparing themselves. Natasha seemed to be deep in thought, strategizing, while Thor just stared at the course warily. Tony had his earbuds on, tuning out the rest of the world, while he studied the course.

"_What do you think he's listening to?"_

"_Probably Black Sabbath or Soundgarden maybe. The man loves his classic rock."_

Natasha tapped Tony on the shoulder. He turned, pulling out an earbud.

"What's up?"

"So, what do you think?"

"About…?" Tony responded, feigning ignorance. He knew perfectly well what she was talking about. He just liked to push her buttons. He liked to push everyone's buttons—even Bruce's.

Natasha scowled at him. "Stark, don't make me shoot you."

The billionaire threw his hands up in surrender, though the grin on his face said otherwise. "Okay, okay. No need for violence."

He thought for a moment, rubbing his goatee, the smile never wavering. "What do I think of the course? I think…" The smile widened when he saw the crewman walking toward them. "I think it's your turn."

The assassin gave him a confused look until the crewman approached her. "Agent Romanoff, you're up."

She nodded at the man then turned a deadly glare on Tony. She had been hoping to get some help from the genius, but he had evaded her like he always did. "I hate you."

"Love you, too!" Tony responded, smirking, as she made her way toward the starting block.

Natasha just rolled her eyes as she climbed onto the platform.

"Seriously though," the billionaire continued, his voice softening. "Good luck."

He'd wanted to help her. He really did. But for all his genius, he had no idea how to get through the course.

As he watched the assassin psych herself up, he caught sight of something he never though he'd see. Was that a faint shadow of a tiny, possibly imaginary smile he saw on her lips? Or was it just a trick of the stage lights?

"_Up next on the course is Agent Natasha Romanoff, codename: Black Widow. Born and raised in Russia, she was trained at a very young age to be the deadly assassin and master spy she is today."_

"_She also shares a colorful history with fellow Avenger and SHIELD agent Clint Barton. When she was still working for the other side, he was sent to kill her. But he saw something in her and made a different call. He spared her life then helped her defect. Once in the US, he got her recruited as an agent of SHIELD. The two now share a bond that goes beyond partners, beyond friendship, a bond that is unshakeable."_

As Natasha waited for the clock to start, she glanced over at Clint who was standing on the sidelines with the others. Her partner gave her a nod and a wink.

Now she was ready.

The clock sounded.

"_And there she goes…Agent Romanoff is on a quest to be the first woman to become a Ninja Warrior."_

She hopped from one angled platform to the next using both feet instead of one like most of the men did.

"_Nice two-step approach at the Quintuple Steps."_

"_She is not the only woman competing here tonight, however, but she is probably the strongest."_

"_The Downhill Jump should be easy for her. Besides being trained as an assassin, she was trained in ballet as well. She should have perfect balance."_

When she stepped onto the board, she took only a brief moment to check her balance before sliding on down. She easily grabbed the rope at the end and swung herself onto the landing platform.

She got through the Prism Tilt easily enough. At the Swing Jump, she climbed onto the swing and, with no problem, transferred over to the cargo net like the spider she was.

At the Circle Cross, she took a deep breath before leaping up to the first ring. She got to the rope without incident. But as she hung there, reaching for the next ring, her fingers began to slip. She managed to pull herself up higher up the rope and moved to the ring, but it took a lot of strength.

"_Her arms must be burning. She doesn't have much grip strength left."_

"C'mon, Nat! You can do this!" Clint shouted, echoing what she had yelled at him during his run.

She swung to the last rope, clinging on with both hands for dear life.

Then she tried for the final ring. And missed, her fingers sliding down the rope a little.

"_Her arms are fully extended. This is not good."_

She tried again. Reached. Almost…

Her fingers wrapped around the ring. But as she let go of the rope, her fingers suddenly slipped off, sending her plunging into the water below.

"_Ooh…she was so close."_

The audience groaned.

Her teammates (except for Steve) swore.

"_Well, let's hope that was enough. Remember,__ if we don't have at least thirty athletes that successfully complete the course, the competitors who went the furthest the fastest will also advance to the finals.__"_

As she climbed out of the water, soaking-wet and mad, she swore in a mixture of English and Russian. Her teammates came to her to offer whatever encouragement they could. But Clint was the only one who wasn't afraid to get close enough to put a hand on her shoulder and give her a towel.

"_Making his way up to the starting block now is the armored Avenger himself, billionaire Tony Stark. AKA Iron Man." _

Tony stepped up onto the platform, earbuds still in his ears, sunglasses over his eyes. He looked very cool.

"_As you can see, he has quite the personality."_

_Iseman chuckled before continuing, "Owner of Stark Industries, he is one of the richest, most powerful men in the world. He no longer deals in weapons technology, however, and instead uses his genius-level intellect to design and build his ever-evolving array of Iron Man armors."_

"_He will not be wearing one tonight, of course. So, we'll soon see if the man behind the armor is just as strong without it."_

Before the clock started he took off the sunglasses and the earbuds. As he pulled out his smartphone, he pushed a few buttons.

"_What's he doing?"_

"_I don't—"_

As he tossed all his stuff to his teammates, loud music (and Ozzy Osbourne's voice) suddenly blared from all the speakers.

"_Whoa! What is that?"_

"_He hacked into our sound system!"_

Tony grinned, bobbing his head to the beat.

_Iseman chuckled. "Rock on, man."_

The other Avengers just shook their heads, facepalming. He just had to make an entrance.

Before anymore could be said about it, the clock started and Tony took off.

"_Well, he's off to a good start."_

"_Looks like he's also taking the two-step approach at the Quintuple Steps like Black Widow. Interesting strategy."_

He got through the five angled platforms without much trouble. However, he did have to take a moment to stabilize himself on the board at the Downhill Jump before pushing off. But he grabbed the rope at the bottom and swung to the platform without any problems. He was a bit wobbly on the Prism Tilt, but got through it.

"_I think he's spent too much time in that armor. His balance is a little off."_

"_Now, he's at the Swing Jump…"_

He climbed onto the swing easily and got it moving. He took two swings like most everyone else did, but when he made the jump to the cargo net, his fingers slipped and he almost fell. But he managed to cling to the net with one hand.

The crowd gasped.

He quickly reached up with his free hand to pull himself up, to everyone's relief, and proceeded to climb down to the landing platform.

"_Ooh, he almost lost it there."_

"_That took a lot of arm strength. Do you think he has enough left for the Circle Cross?"_

"_We're about to find out."_

He took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself after that close call before jumping up to grab the first ring. Transferring to the first rope was okay, but it took some effort to transfer to the second ring.

"_He's keeping his arms at a ninety-degree angle. Good form. But he's getting tired."_

The bobble made him lose some of his momentum so he had to swing himself a couple of times before he transferred to the next rope. His fingers slipped a little, so he had to adjust.

"_He's spending too much time out there, expending too much energy. He may not have much left for the Wall."_

He somehow managed to swing to the final ring then landed on the platform, rubbing his wrists. He trudged toward the Warped Wall, shaking out his arms. They felt like jello.

He looked up at the wall, studying it for a second, then took a deep breath and went for it. He got halfway up before sliding back down. He swore.

The music stopped.

There was a smattering of "Aww..."s in the audience.

"_Sounds like our producers got the sound system back under control."_

"_And it looks like he's out of gas. But he has two more tries to get up there."_

He paced for a moment, regrouping, then tried again. He got a little bit higher but still failed to reach the top.

"Climb, you idiot!" Natasha shouted from the sidelines, as Tony slid back down to the ground.

"_Last try."_

"C'mon, Tony. Focus!" Steve yelled.

He took a deep breath. Took another one. Then went at full speed toward the wall. He got up there. Reached…

But it wasn't enough. He stumbled back down to the bottom, to his and everyone else's disappointment.

"_He was so close to finishing the course. The end was literally just out of reach."_

Tony let out a string of profanities as he made his way off the platform.

"_Let's go down to Jenn to find out what happened."_

_The camera panned down to the third co-host as she beckoned Tony to come talk to her._

"_Mr. Stark, you were doing pretty well until you got to the Warped Wall. Then everything seemed to fall apart."_

"That's putting it mildly."

"_What happened?"_

"I don't know. I miscalculated."

"_You got pretty far, though. You could still make it to the city finals."_

"Yeah, maybe." With that, Tony turned and walked away. For the first time in his life, he didn't want to be on camera.

"_And there you have it. Guys?"_

_The camera flashed back to the booth._

"_Thanks, Jenn."_

"_Akbar, can you feel the electricity in the audience?"_

"_I sure do."_

"_Well, that's because next up on the course is the final Avenger, the god of thunder himself, Thor!"_

The blond-haired god climbed up onto the starting block, all smiles, hammer in hand. He held it up high, summoning some lightning. The audience cheered wildly at his little light show.

"Show-off," Tony muttered, arms crossed.

"Look who's talking," Clint responded, a smirk on his face.

"He's been hanging around Stark too long," Natasha commented.

Steve nodded in agreement. "Tony's a bad influence."

The billionaire just glared at them. "Hey! I'm standing right here."

"_That's right, folks. He's real."_

"_Thor, also called Thor Odinson, comes straight out of Norse mythology. As his name implies, he is the son of Odin, the All-father, and heir to the throne of Asgard. Though his allegiance is split between his home world and this world, he considers earth his second home, the Avengers his second family."_

"_Speaking of family, his adoptive brother, Loki, has made quite a name for himself here on earth. New York is still recovering from the battle the Avengers fought against the god of mischief and his alien army. But despite everything he's done, Thor still cares for his brother just the same and hopes that one day Loki will make a change for the better."_

"_So tonight, he's not only competing for himself or for the Avengers, but for his brother as well."_

As the clock sounded, Thor dropped his hammer beside him and went for it.

He got through the first two platforms of the Quintuple Steps with no problem, but as he hopped onto the third one he stumbled and ended up landing on it with his entire body. He managed to finish though, taking the last two platforms one at a time, using both arms and both legs to cling to each one before moving on.

"_Though he is much stronger than a human, he is not very agile."_

He was wobbly on the Downhill Jump but still managed to grab the rope and swing himself to the next platform. Unfortunately, he landed on all fours instead of on his feet.

Everyone winced.

"_Ooh…and he takes a spill."_

"_But he seems to be okay," Akbar commented, as Thor jumped back to his feet._

"_He's pretty tough."_

He made it across the Prism Tilt okay, but landed a little off balance once he got to the next platform. Things got easier though as moved on to the Swing Jump. Though he had some trouble getting the swing going, he leapt off onto the cargo net with ease.

He got through the Circle Cross without any problems, his landing better than on the previous obstacles.

"_What he lacks in agility, he makes up for with amazing strength."_

He stared up at the Warped Wall for a moment, taking a breath.

"_Look at him. He hasn't even broken a sweat."_

"_Do gods even sweat?" Akbar wondered._

He glanced over at his team, smiling a bit as if to say "I got this" then took off like the wind. He got up the wall easily and pounded the buzzer, nearly breaking it. Then he summoned his hammer and pumped his fists into the air in celebration.

"_He made it!"_

"_It wasn't pretty, but he made it."_

"_Not even close to Cap's or Hawkeye's time, but he still automatically advances to the finals."_

"_Let's go down to Jenn, who's with the god now."_

_The camera flashed down to the brunette who was standing with the ecstatic god of thunder._

"_So, Thor, what did you think of the course?"_

"It was most enjoyable. I would very much like to do it again."

"_And you will, at the Baltimore finals. Along with the other Avengers."_

"Aye! It will be glorious!" With that, he wandered off to give all his teammates a giant bear hug.

"_Okay…guys?"_

"_Thanks Jenn."_

"_Like she said, all the Avengers have indeed made it to the finals," Iseman said, as the camera returned to them. "Let's take a look at the standings…"_

"_Seventeen competitors completed the course and are automatically advancing to the finals, one step closer to Mt. Midoriyama. Among them are three of the Avengers—Captain America with the fastest time in first place, Hawkeye two places down in third, and Thor in sixteenth."_

"_The other thirteen did not complete the course, but got the furthest the fastest and so will advance as well. Among them are the other two Avengers. Iron man in twenty-third and Black Widow at the bottom." _

"_She barely made the cut, but she did make history. She is the first woman ever to advance to any city final."_

"_Amazing! Well, thank you all for joining us tonight in Baltimore for what turned out to be one heck of a qualifier."_

"_Don't forget to tune in next time for the Baltimore Finals here on _American Ninja Warrior_!"_

* * *

**So, whaddaya think? Rooting for anyone, yet? The real Baltimore finals are on tonight in my area. Check it out to keep your imagination busy while you wait for our favorite heroes to try it!**


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